The New York Rangers will be starting up the season at the end of this month, and September is going to be for the team as they prepare for the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
This summer, the Rangers were one of the more aggressive teams in the league at trying to get better. New York has missed the playoffs for two straight years, and with a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference last season, something had to change.
Chris Drury went into the offseason with a lot of different areas to improve, but was able to make some notable trades and a couple of good signings in free agency as well.
On paper, the team should be better and contending for a playoff spot could be in the cards. However, while they are better, one of the major concerns for the team will be whether or not they have enough offense to win games.
Scoring at even strength was a major problem for the team and a major reason why they invested heavily in Pavel Dorofeyev . The talented winger is coming off of two straight 30+ goal seasons, and the Rangers will be hoping he can help in that area. However, while he should be a big upgrade, another player who can help in that category is Gabe Perreault.
Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It was a solid first season for the young winger of the Rangers, and there is reason to be excited about what he might be able to accomplish with the team going forward.
Last season, the former first-round pick got a chance to showcase what he could do, and he did not disappoint. Overall, he totaled 27 points in 49 games with 12 goals and 15 assists. However, it was what he was able to do in the second half of the year that was really impressive.
In March and April, he totaled 19 points in 23 games with nine goals and 10 assists. As his role increased and he got put on the first line with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere, he really saw his production take off.
As next season approaches, it will be interesting to see how Mike Sullivan works the lines. Keeping that trio together to at least start the season based on their success together makes a lot of sense, but Dorofeyev will certainly be in the conversation to be on the top line.
Overall, New York has to be excited about what Perreault is going to be able to bring to the table this coming season. With some good experience last year under his belt, he should certainly be a 20+ goal scorer, and that will help the team quite a bit.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/rangers/onsi as Why Gabe Perreault Can Be Answer for NY Rangers' Scoring Problems .
